Some food labels will clearly state, "Contains wheat, milk, soy, and nuts" or, "May contain wheat, milk, eggs." And that is because eggs and dairy products are among the most common food allergens. Along with wheat, soy, tree nuts, crustaceans and fish. So, many times, the dairy and egg will be identified in a separate line. But, what if there is a small amount? And, what about the rest of the list?
Today, we want to point out a few of the catch words on a food label -- ones that we have encountered that you may, too, and that we all need to avoid while fasting. We found a chart that explains what many of these ingredients are, what they are for, examples of use, and the various names used for these foods. Hopefully, all of this will help you understand the labels, too!
1) First, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), copied from the website found at www.fda.gov, they have posted a chart of the categories of food ingredients. Not only does it list the category of food, the chart shows why to use it, where to find it, and what it may be called on a label. This is helpful if you are looking to memorize a short list for a category or two.
Types of Food Ingredients
The following summary lists the types of common food ingredients, why they are used,
and some examples of the names that can be found on product labels. Some additives are
used for more than one purpose.
and some examples of the names that can be found on product labels. Some additives are
used for more than one purpose.
| Types of Ingredients | What They Do | Examples of Uses | Names Found on Product Labels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preservatives | Prevent food spoilage from bacteria, molds, fungi, or yeast (antimicrobials); slow or prevent changes in color, flavor, or texture and delay rancidity (antioxidants); maintain freshness | Fruit sauces and jellies, beverages, baked goods, cured meats, oils and margarines, cereals, dressings, snack foods, fruits and vegetables | Ascorbic acid, citric acid, sodium benzoate, calcium propionate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, calcium sorbate, potassium sorbate, BHA, BHT, EDTA, tocopherols (Vitamin E) |
| Sweeteners | Add sweetness with or without the extra calories | Beverages, baked goods, confections, table-top sugar, substitutes, many processed foods | Sucrose (sugar), glucose, fructose, sorbitol, mannitol, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame-K), neotame |
| Color Additives | Offset color loss due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture and storage conditions; correct natural variations in color; enhance colors that occur naturally; provide color to colorless and "fun" foods | Many processed foods, (candies, snack foods margarine, cheese, soft drinks, jams/jellies, gelatins, pudding and pie fillings) | FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red Nos. 3 and 40, FD&C Yellow Nos. 5 and 6, Orange B, Citrus Red No. 2, annatto extract, beta-carotene, grape skin extract, cochineal extract or carmine, paprika oleoresin, caramel color, fruit and vegetable juices, saffron (Note: Exempt color additives are not required to be declared by name on labels but may be declared simply as colorings or color added) |
| Flavors and Spices | Add specific flavors (natural and synthetic) | Pudding and pie fillings, gelatin dessert mixes, cake mixes, salad dressings, candies, soft drinks, ice cream, BBQ sauce | Natural flavoring, artificial flavor, and spices |
| Flavor Enhancers | Enhance flavors already present in foods (without providing their own separate flavor) | Many processed foods | Monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium guanylate or inosinate |
| Fat Replacers (and components of formulations used to replace fats) | Provide expected texture and a creamy "mouth-feel" in reduced-fat foods | Baked goods, dressings, frozen desserts, confections, cake and dessert mixes, dairy products | Olestra, cellulose gel, carrageenan, polydextrose, modified food starch, microparticulated egg white protein, guar gum, xanthan gum, whey protein concentrate |
| Nutrients | Replace vitamins and minerals lost in processing (enrichment), add nutrients that may be lacking in the diet (fortification) | Flour, breads, cereals, rice, macaroni, margarine, salt, milk, fruit beverages, energy bars, instant breakfast drinks | Thiamine hydrochloride, riboflavin (Vitamin B2), niacin, niacinamide, folate or folic acid, beta carotene, potassium iodide, iron or ferrous sulfate, alpha tocopherols, ascorbic acid, Vitamin D, amino acids (L-tryptophan, L-lysine, L-leucine, L-methionine) |
| Emulsifiers |
Allow smooth mixing of ingredients, prevent separation
Keep emulsified products stable, reduce stickiness, control crystallization, keep ingredients dispersed, and to help products dissolve more easily
| Salad dressings, peanut butter, chocolate, margarine, frozen desserts | Soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, egg yolks, polysorbates, sorbitan monostearate |
| Stabilizers and Thickeners, Binders, Texturizers | Produce uniform texture, improve "mouth-feel" | Frozen desserts, dairy products, cakes, pudding and gelatin mixes, dressings, jams and jellies, sauces | Gelatin, pectin, guar gum, carrageenan, xanthan gum, whey |
| pH Control Agents and acidulants | Control acidity and alkalinity, prevent spoilage | Beverages, frozen desserts, chocolate, low acid canned foods, baking powder | Lactic acid, citric acid, ammonium hydroxide, sodium carbonate |
| Leavening Agents | Promote rising of baked goods | Breads and other baked goods | Baking soda, monocalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate |
| Anti-caking agents | Keep powdered foods free-flowing, prevent moisture absorption | Salt, baking powder, confectioner's sugar | Calcium silicate, iron ammonium citrate, silicon dioxide |
| Humectants | Retain moisture | Shredded coconut, marshmallows, soft candies, confections | Glycerin, sorbitol |
| Yeast Nutrients | Promote growth of yeast | Breads and other baked goods | Calcium sulfate, ammonium phosphate |
| Dough Strengtheners and Conditioners | Produce more stable dough | Breads and other baked goods | Ammonium sulfate, azodicarbonamide, L-cysteine |
| Firming Agents | Maintain crispness and firmness | Processed fruits and vegetables | Calcium chloride, calcium lactate |
| Enzyme Preparations | Modify proteins, polysaccharides and fats | Cheese, dairy products, meat | Enzymes, lactase, papain, rennet, chymosin |
| Gases | Serve as propellant, aerate, or create carbonation | Oil cooking spray, whipped cream, carbonated beverages | Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide |
2) Next, we found this lovely picture of How food alergans must be declared on food labels to comply with FDA labelling rules. Here is the FDA's posting:
(source: http://www.fda.gov/food/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidancedocuments/foodlabelingnutrition/foodlabelingguide/ucm064880.htm)
.jpg)
From Canada:
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) provides a more specific list of suggested foods and names. In Canada, the labelling laws are a bit different, whereby the manufacturer must list ingredients by the common name. Now, this fully comes into into effect in August, 2012, but the transition is happening now with many companies.
Until the full transition is made, it is helpful to know what other names exist for some foods, and what products likely contain those foods.
Other names for eggs
- Albumin, albumen
- Conalbumin
- Egg substitutes, for example, Egg Beaters
- Globulin
- Livetin
- Lysozyme
- Ovo (means egg), for example, ovalbumin, ovomucin, ovotransferrin
- Silico-albuminate
- Vitellin
Other names for milk
- Beta-lactoglobulin
- Casein, rennet casein
- Caseinate (ammonium caseinate, calcium caseinate, magnesium caseinate, potassium caseinate, and sodium caseinate)
- Delactosed or demineralized whey
- Dry milk, milk solids
- Hydrolyzed casein and hydrolyzed milk protein
- Lactalbumin and lactalbumin phosphate
- Lactose
- Lactoferrin, lactoglobulin
- Milk derivative, fat and protein
- Modified milk ingredients
- Whey and whey protein concentrate
Food and products that contain or often contain eggs
- Baked goods (including some type of breads) and baking mixes
- Battered and fried foods
- Cream-filled desserts, for example, custards, meringues, puddings and ice creams
- Egg and fat substitutes
- Fat replacers, for example, Simplesse
- Lecithin
- Mayonnaise
- Meat products with fillers, for example, meatballs and meatloaf
- Nougats, marzipan candy
- Pasta (fresh pasta, some types of dry pasta for example, egg noodles)
- Quiche, soufflé
- Salad dressings, creamy dressings
- Sauces, for example, Béarnaise, hollandaise, Newburg, tartar
Food and products that contain or often contain milk
- Artificial butter, butter flavour or butter oil
- Dark chocolate
- Baked goods (including some type of breads) and baking mixes
- Battered and fried foods
- Broth and bouillons
- Caramel colouring or flavouring
- Casseroles, frozen prepared foods
- Cereals, cookies and crackers
- Chocolate bars
- Desserts, for example, custards, frozen yogourts, ice creams and puddings
- Dips and salad dressings
- Egg and fat substitutes
- Fat replacers, for example, Opta and Simplesse
- Glazes
- Gravies and sauces
- High-protein flour
- Malt-drink mixes
- Margarine
- Pâtés and sausages
- Pizza
- Potatoes (instant, mashed and scalloped potatoes)
- Seasonings
- Soups and soup mixes, cream soups
- Soy cheese
Food and products that contain or often contain seafood
- Ethnic foods, for example, fried rice, paella and spring rolls
- Garnishes, for example, antipasto, caponata (Sicilian relish)
- Gelatin, marshmallows
- Pizza toppings
- Salad dressings
- Sauces, for example, marinara, Nuoc Mâm, steak and Worcestershire
- Seafood soups and broths
- Spreads, for example, taramasalata
- Sushi (California rolls)
Other possible sources of seafood
- Deli meats, hot dogs (from gelatin)
- Dips, spreads
- Fried foods (from contaminated frying oil)
Non-food sources of seafood
- Compost or fertilizers
- Fish food
- Lip balm, lip gloss
- Pet food
Some of the items on this list came as a surprise to us. We imagine that happened to some of you, too. Although some of this is quite obvious, it is better to read the labels, look for the ingredients you want to avoid -- by common and/or scientific name, and make the best decision you can. Perhaps you will think it is easier to just avoid buying any food in a package, or you will stick to ones from a health food store that carries all vegetarian items. But, you don't know for sure until you read! Let us know what you have encountered -- especially if you can help someone else get it right!
Even if we have thousands of acts of great virtue to our credit, our confidence in being heard must be based on God's mercy and His love for men. Even if we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy that we shall be saved.
—St. John Chrysostom
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